Appointment to replace Dow Constantine, who was elected county executive. Due to a voter-approved measure making county offices in King County nonpartisan, the previous procedure of the Council selecting an appointee from a list presented by the outgoing member's party is now void. Councilmembers will debate a new procedure to select an appointee, who will have to face a special election in 2010 should they choose to run again.
A 12-person committee appointed by the county council will interview all the applicants beginning December 3 and select three to six of the most qualified candidates to advance to be interviewed by the council as a whole. Of those selected at least one will be among those pledging not to seek election to the seat the following fall, and at least one will be one intending to run for the seat. In the end, the committee suggested four applicants be considered: Joe McDermott, Sharon Nelson, Zack Hudgins, and Jan Drago.
The council will interview the finalists December 7 and intend to make the appointment by the last council meeting of the year on December 14. However, with only eight councilmembers as a result of the vacancy, a consensus could not be reached at the last meeting of the year. Democrats supported Senator McDermott for the position but his motion failed 4-4 with all Republicans voting against. Republicans sought to appoint Jan Drago but her motion also failed 4-4 with all Democrats voting against. The Council will once again take
[More...]Appointment to replace Dow Constantine, who was elected county executive. Due to a voter-approved measure making county offices in King County nonpartisan, the previous procedure of the Council selecting an appointee from a list presented by the outgoing member's party is now void. Councilmembers will debate a new procedure to select an appointee, who will have to face a special election in 2010 should they choose to run again.
A 12-person committee appointed by the county council will interview all the applicants beginning December 3 and select three to six of the most qualified candidates to advance to be interviewed by the council as a whole. Of those selected at least one will be among those pledging not to seek election to the seat the following fall, and at least one will be one intending to run for the seat. In the end, the committee suggested four applicants be considered: Joe McDermott, Sharon Nelson, Zack Hudgins, and Jan Drago.
The council will interview the finalists December 7 and intend to make the appointment by the last council meeting of the year on December 14. However, with only eight councilmembers as a result of the vacancy, a consensus could not be reached at the last meeting of the year. Democrats supported Senator McDermott for the position but his motion failed 4-4 with all Republicans voting against. Republicans sought to appoint Jan Drago but her motion also failed 4-4 with all Democrats voting against. The Council will once again take up the matter at the first meeting of 2010 on January 4. Republican Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer has since contacted Charley Royer about the possibility of serving in a caretaker role. Royer had not sought appointment to the position but may be considered as well at the January 4 meeting.
The deadlock was eventually broken when Larry Phillips broke with his fellow Democrats to vote for Drago. He stated that McDermott remained his first choice but that Drago still possessed the Democratic qualifications required for him to support her appointment and allow the council to move on to other business.
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